I want to have a tattoo done and I was wondering whether having diabetes would affect my ability to have a tattoo.

Is there any medical reason why I shouldn’t have one done?
Answer

I always think of diabetes as a condition that occurs in perfectly normal people who lead a full active life; the only difference is that they must pay greater attention to looking after themselves than the rest of us.

Of course, it is essential to keep fit and slim, and to keep both blood pressure and blood glucose levels close to the ideals recommended by Diabetes UK to avoid the complications of the disease.

If you are fit, and your control is good, then your risks from having a tattoo are the same as for anyone else. These are the risks of infection at the site if the injections, the pain of the procedure, and the problems associated with removal of the tattoo if you get fed up with it; they are permanent and much harder to remove than to have done.

Historically, there has been a danger of acquiring hepatitis, and other blood-borne illnesses from the use of needles that have been used on other individuals. But, this should not happen in the UK where tattooists are keenly aware of the problem.

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